Device to maintain position for chest radiography

ABSTRACT

A cassette holder for radiography has slotted bars disposed forwardly of the cassette with angle brackets engaged in the slots. Holders are mounted on the angle brackets to support a transparent plate which serves to positively locate the patient during cassette exposure.

iinited States Patent inventor James A. Orwig 109 Temple Terrace, Clarksburg, W. Va. 26301 Appl. No. 38,724

Filed May 19, 1970 Patented Jan. 11, 1972 DEVICE T0 MAINTAIN POSITION FOR CHEST RADIOGRAPIIY 2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs. U.S. Cl 250/50, 250/66 lnt.Cl ..G03b 41/16 Field of Search 250/58, 57, 50, 65 R, 66

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,869,278 7/1932 Ramelli 250/50 Primary Examiner-Walter Stolwein Assistant Examiner-C. E. Church Attorney-Robert G. McMorrow ABSTRACT: A cassette holder for radiography has slotted bars disposed forwardly of the cassette with angle brackets engaged in the slots. Holders are mounted on the angle brackets to support a transparent plate which serves to positively locate the patient during cassette exposure.

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SHEET 2 UF 2 INVENTOR JAMES A. ORWIG ATTORNEY DEVICE TO MAINTAIN POSITION FOR CHEST RADIOGRAPIIY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to the practice of radiography, and more specifically to a device employed to position and maintain patients at various predetermined angles with respect to the X-ray apparatus during use.

2. Statement of the Prior Art Insofar as is known, there is no presently available apparatus adapted for the specific purpose of positioning and maintaining the position of a patient during chest radiography. Prior U.S. Pats. in the general area of patient or film orientation in radiography are as follows: No. 2,174,738, Eddy, Oct. 3, 1939; No. 2,264,410, Schier, Dec. 2, 1941; No. 2,276,137, Young, Mar. 10, 1942; No. 2,456,096, Wehmer, Dec. 14, 1948.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In present practice, patients undergoing chest radiography are positioned relative to the apparatus by estimated angle. Incorrect angularity and positioning of the patient renders an inaccurate representation of the relationship of the various organs. It has been found that the vast majority of X-ray retakes are necessitated by disorientation of the patient-that is, the patient being out of true lateral position. Reduction in the necessity for repeated efforts is desirable in that this results in a lower number of exposures of the patient to radiation. Moreover, savings are effected'in the cost of materials and in conservation of the time of technicians and equipment.

In addition to. its desirable advantage of reduction of frequency of retakes, the support of this invention has as another principal objective that of permitting the correct maintenance of patient position and degree of angle during radiography-an objective which heretofore has been difficult or impossible to achieve with existing equipment.

Additional objectives of importance include the provision of a device as aforesaid wherein the positioning means is effectively added to the existing cassette support assembly of chest radiography apparatus, and which functions without interference with the other apparatus components.

Yet another objective resides in the provision of a device having visible angle indication means; and one wherein the angle is readily adjustable. Notwithstanding this case of adj ustment, the invention is constructed such that the angle is maintained in selected position and is not likely to he accidentally or inadvertently displaced.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device for positioning a patient during chest radiography, the device being in place on a cassette support;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view on reduced scale, showing an alternative position in phantom lines;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, detail sectional view on line 33 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a foreshortened sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5a is a top plan view showing illustratively one manner of use of the invention; and

FIG. 5b is a view similar to FIG. 5a, showing another of numerous possible operating positions.

- DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings in more detail, the invention apparatus, comprising means for positioning a patient and accurately maintaining that position during chest radiography, is there identified by reference numeral 10. The apparatus 10 is shown in FIG. 1 in its principal intended environment of use.

A portion of the apparatus hereof comprises a modification of the cassette support apparatus currently in widespread use in the radiography field. Such apparatus conventionally employs spaced apart vertical rods 12 and 14 carrying apparatus to support a film cassette 16 having a frame 18. In such conventional apparatus, each rod has an upper block 20 and a lower block 22 positioned thereon for sliding vertical movement, the blocks usually having means, such as lock screws 24, to maintain them at selected height positions. Secured on the upper blocks 20 of the rods 12 and 14 is an elongated channel member 26 with its open side disposed downwardly. Similarly extending between the lower blocks 22 is a lowered channel member 28 having its open side extending upwardly. As shown in FIG. 1, the cassette frame 18 is slidably received between these channel members.

In adapting this conventional apparatus to the practice of the instant invention, each rod is provided with a supplemental upper block 30, and a supplemental lower block 32. Like the main blocks, the supplemental blocks have changeable fastening means 34 to lock them in position on the rods. Each block has a support arm which includes a lateral section 36, and a projecting end section 38. The end sections have rectangular grooves 40 therein outwardly of the extent of the channel members and cassette, and the laterally aligned pairs of grooves 40 receive upper and lower adjustment bars 42 and 44. The bars each have a series of upwardly opening slots 46 therein, functioning in a manner described below. The slots 46 of the respective bars are vertically coaligned.

Movably mounted on the bars are substantially identical upper and lower angle brackets 48 and 50. Each of these includes a plate 52 having a semicircular side 54 with a series of radially extending slots 56 formed therein, and each has a back side 56. The plates also have lower surfaces 58 from which depend a pair of lugs 60. Each plate further has an opening 62 formed therein. The plates are prevented from falling from the bars by U-form members at each side. The U- form members include upright arms 64 and 66 with connecting bight portions 68, and the arms are closely spaced on either side of the bars 42 and 44. However, the bight portion is spaced downwardly a distance sufficient to permit lifting of the lugs 60 from the slots 46 and movement of the bracket to another pair of slots. Thus, both rigidity of mounting and ease of mobility are made possible.

The positioning means of the assembly is generally identified in the drawing by reference numeral 70. The assembly 70 includes an upper holder 72 having an elongated body 74 of channel form opening downwardly. Adjacent the proximal end 76 of the channel, a vertical connecting member 78 projects upwardly, and a horizontal plate adjustment member 80 extends therefrom. A cylindrical screw 82 extends through an opening formed in the member 80, and as seen in FIG. 4, is engaged in the opening 62 of the upper plate 52. A spring 83 is disposed between the member 80 and the plate 52 to maintain disengagement of the screw during adjustments. A gusset 84 is disposed at the juncture of the members 78 and 80, and is engaged in one of the slots 56 of the plate 52 when the screw 82 is seated in the plate opening. The positioning means further includes a lower holder 86 having a channel body 88 opening upwardly, and having a depending pin 90 extending through an opening in its proximal end 92. A spring 91 is interposed between the end 92 and the lower plate. Spaced inwardly from said end is a depending, rectangular tooth 94. When the pin 90 is engaged in the opening 62 of the lower plate, the tooth 94 engages in a selected one of the slots of said plate. A transparent plate 96, formed of clear plastic or other suitable material, is fixedly engaged between the channel bodies 88 and 74.

The apparatus hereof is employed in positioning a patient for chest radiography in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 5a and 5b by way of example. It is to be observed that the lateral location of the positioning means 70 is controlled by the placement of the angle brackets 48, said brackets being adapted for positioning in selected pairs of slots 46 on the upper and lower bars 42 and M. The positioning means is adjustable for angularity by vertical movement to disengage the gusset 84 and tooth 94 from the bracket slots 56 thereby permitting pivotal movement of the holder and plate 96.

I claim:

1. The combination, with apparatus employed in chest radiography, the apparatus including a pair of upright rods each having a vertically adjustable main block thereon, transversely aligned support arms on said blocks, upper and lower channel members secured laterally to span the transversely aligned support arms, a cassette releasably engaged between the channel members, of an adjustable positioning assembly comprising:

supplemental blocks abutting each main block and having a support arm extending forwardly of the cassette;

a pair of horizontal bars mounted on the support arms forwardly of the cassette, including an upper bar and a lower bar;

each of the bars having an upper side and having a series of slots formed therein opening on said upper side;

upper and lower angle brackets, each comprising a plate having a semicircular forward side with radially arranged slots therein, having depending lugs engaged in the slots of the bars, and having bracket means engageable about the bars;

each of the plates having an opening therein;

an upper holder member comprising an elongated body of channel form, a vertical connecting member, and a plate engagement member having a depending screw engaged in the opening of the upper plate, and a gusset between the connecting member and the plate engagement member, the gusset being engaged in one of the radial slots of the plate;

a lower holder comprising an elongated body having a depending pin engaged in the opening of the lower plate and having a tooth engaged in one of the slots of the lower plate; and

a transparent and radiolucent plate secured between the elongated bodies of the upper and lower holders, the patient being located against the plate to determine the position of the patient relative to the cassette.

2. The combination, with a cassette holder for radiography,

of a patient positioning assembly comprising;

a pair of substantially horizontal bars each having a plurality of vertically aligned adjustment means therein; means for positioning a cassette adjacent and parallel to said pair of horizontal bars upper and lower angle brackets mounted on said bars for lateral adjustment, the angle brackets each having means for engagement in said vertically aligned adjustment means; pivotal patient positioning means on the angle brackets, including a visually transparent and radiolucent plate, the plate being movable to angularly determine the position of the patient thereagainst with respect to the cassette and wherein each of the angle brackets includes a plate having a plurality of radially positioned slots therein, the patient positioning means includes upper and lower holders pivoted to the respective upper and lower plates, said radiolucent plate extending between said holders, and the holders have means thereon engageable in said radially positioned slots to determine the angularity of the radiolucent plate relative to said horizontal bars. 

1. The combination, with apparatus employed in chest radiography, the apparatus including a pair of upright rods each having a vertically adjustable main block thereon, transversely aligned support arms on said blocks, upper and lower channel members secured laterally to span the transversely aligned support arms, a cassette releasably engaged between the channel members, of an adjustable positioning assembly comprising: supplemental blocks abutting each main block and having a support arm extending forwardly of the cassette; a pair of horizontal bars mounted on the support arms forwardly of the cassette, including an upper bar and a lower bar; each of the bars having an upper side and having a series of slots formed therein opening on said upper side; upper and lower angle brackets, each comprising a plate having a semicircular forward side with radially arranged slots therein, having depending lugs engaged in the slots of the bars, and having bracket means engageable about the bars; each of the plates having an opening therein; an upper holder member comprising an elongated body of channel form, a vertical connecting member, and a plate engagement member having a depending screw engaged in the opening of the upper plate, and a gusset between the connecting member and the plate engagement member, the gusset being engaged in one of the radial slots of the plate; a lower holder comprising an elongated body having a depending pin engaged in the opening of the lower plate and having a tooth engaged in one of the slots of the lower plate; and a transparent and radiolucent plate secured between the elongated bodies of the upper and lower holders, the patient being located against the plate to determine the position of the patient relative to the cassette.
 2. The combination, with a cassette holder for radiography, of a patient positioning assembly comprising; a pair of substantially horizontal bars each having a plurality of vertically aligned adjustment means therein; means for positioning a cassette adjacent and parallel to said pair of horizontal bars upper and lower angle brackets mounted on said bars for lateral adjustment, the angle brackets each having means for engagement in said vertically aligned adjustment means; pivotal patient positioning means on the angle brackets, including a visually transparent and radiolucent plate, the plate being movable to angularly determine the position of the patient thereagainst with respect to the cassette and wherein each of the angle brackets includes a plate having a plurality of radially positioned slots therein, the patient positioning means includes upper and lower holders pivoted to the respective upper and lower plates, said radiolucent plate extending between said holders, and the holders have means thereon engageable in said radially positioned slots to determine the angularity of the radiolucent plate relative to Said horizontal bars. 